Monday, August 15, 2011

Not Your Momma's Meatloaf

I think most folks at some point in their lives have had either great experiences with

meatloaf or really bad ones. Maybe the meatloaf was a tad dry or maybe it tasted like a lump of beef and nothing else. And if that bad experience came from childhood, and Mom was trying to feed 9 or 10 children, as was a common situation many years ago, she didn't have the time (or probably the energy) to be fancy-ing it up. It was cheap and she could get a hot meal on the table.

Meatloaf was created out of necessity. It is fairly inexpensive, easy, filling and can feed a lot of folks. And perhaps the name does not help it's case at all, but let's face it, when a meatloaf is done right, it is so comforting to the soul. Personally, I'm a meatloaf lover. But if you aren't, then maybe it's time you give it a second chance. Because meatloaves need love to, even if they aren't the prettiest girl showing up to the party.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (80/20 works good)

3/4 cup Milk

1 Egg

3 slices of bread, torn up into small pieces

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

½ tablespoon Onion Powder

½ teaspoon Kosher Salt

½ teaspoon Dry Ground Mustard

¼ teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

¼ teaspoon Hot Sauce (or slightly more, to taste)

⅛ teaspoon Garlic Powder

½ cup ketchup

Directions:

Heat oven to 350F degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl (except ketchup).

Don’t be afraid to get in there with your hands – they work best.

Spread mixture into an ungreased loaf pan or shape into a loaf on a sheet pan.

Spread ketchup on top of meatloaf.

Cook for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes (or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees). Let stand for 5 minutes and serve

Cook’s Note: Cooking it in a loaf pan can help the loaf stay moist.

Take a couple slices of bread and place on bottom of meatloaf pan before putting in meat mixture. This will help soak up some of the fat that will puddle at the bottom of the pan (I use the heel ends). Cooking it on a sheet pan will help some of the fat spread away from the meat if you are looking to make this a slightly leaner dish. It’s just a matter of preference.

Feel free to use chopped onions and minced garlic instead of the powder. I have picky eaters though and they are always on the lookout for onion bits. Maybe even add some green pepper in there too!

I really like the idea of using the sheet pan. I was never able to get nice slices out of a loaf pan. I have a veggie meat loaf that was next to impossible to get out of a loaf pan so I think I'll retry it forming it on a sheet pan.

You're so right about meatloaf -- I've had mostly bad experiences, though! I've read that great cooks like MLK Fisher and mora Ephron and Laurie Colwin all name meatloaf as one of their all time favorites. I'm tryin yours!

Meatloaf is hit or miss with me. I still can't get excited when I hear my grandma is making it since it was something she made for us every time we came to visit. I get excited when it's a new recipe to try and I haven't made it in months. This looks like a great recipe to try. It's been a long while since I've made meatloaf. I would like to invite you to visit my blog to enter my giveaway. Check it out if you are interested. http://imapretendchef.blogspot.com/2011/08/food-should-taste-good-giveaway.html

Thanks for sharing on Church Supper. We are meatloaf lovers in our house and my boys would love yours b/c of the ketchup. I prefer it w/o, so I'm "mean" and make them dip after it's cooked. Lol Hope to see you back again next week!!

This is funny to me because growing up I always hated my mom's meatloaf. It wasn't until I had someone else's meatloaf that I knew it could be very good. My MIL makes delicious meatloaf, so I started making her recipe and love it. Just this year my dad finally told my mom that he didn't really like her meatloaf. She asked me for my recipe and they love it.:) This looks like a good one!

The last time I made meatloaf it didnt turn out so well. I got the recipe from a health cookbook, using lean ground turkey...and basically... it turned out like rubber! lol This sounds wonderful! Bookmarking this one!!

You said a mouthful about bad meatloaf and there's plenty out there. Not that of either of our Moms' of course, by definition they were delicious... which in fact they were. So is yours by the look of things Yum!

Very good!! Yum!! I always put a couple of slices of bacon on top. It gets nice and crispy and some of the flavor goes into the meatloaf. When my kids were at home we all wanted the bacon!!! I love the hint of putting the bread under it....really helps with the grease. This is great cold for sandwiches!! I LOVE your site!!!!

That looks just wonderful, I make mine and it is more of a wet mixture that has to go into a cake pan, but I think I am gonna try this one the next time...mine just like alot of ketchup in the mixture....

I found your blog through Pinterest and I've come back to it over and over. I've liked almost every recipe I've made from your site (only one didn't come out as I'd hoped but was still okay to eat--just didn't get the rave reviews that everything else has). I'm not much of a cook but now have four males in the house and am cooking a lot more than I used to. I'd never made meatloaf before last week when I tried your recipe. It was gobbled up so fast, and I swear, I thought my boyfriend was ready to propose on the spot. I'm making it again tonight and just wanted to thank you for the confidence you've given me to try new recipes. Your site is wonderful and this recipe was fantastic!

Sitting here at 2am cause I can't sleep looking for something for dinner tonight when I came across this, Do you have to use the ground mustard? I have everything else to make but not that. Don't want to have to go to Wally World today, Thanks

My husband and I love a meat loaf every couple of months. I started mixing mine in a large shallow bowl and make a rough form then slide it into my hot, lightly greased 12" cast iron skillet and finish forming it so ends touch the edge of skillet (meat is narrow and long like the shape of loaf pan). it comes out so yummy!